COVID-19 Damaging the Heart in Addition to Lungs

Data from China, Italy, Washington state, and New York – among the heaviest hit epicenters of the global coronavirus pandemic – are showing COVID-19 patients dying from cardiac arrest, according to Kaiser Health News.

"It's extremely important to answer the question: Is their heart being affected by the virus and can we do something about it?" New York City cardiologist Dr. Ulrich Jorde told the journal. "This may save many lives in the end."

While the heart is extremely dependent on oxygen, which can be choked off by respiratory illness, it has been a medical mystery how patients without signs of "respiratory distress" are also dying of heart attacks, suggesting the virus can affect the heart muscle in addition to the lungs, according to the report.

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